Notes / Commercial Description:
Our golden-yellow wheat beer, with its fine-poured white foam, smells of cloves and impresses consumers with its refreshing banana flavour. It is full bodied and with a smooth yeast taste. To be enjoyed at any time,goes excellently with fish and seafood, with spicy cheese and especially with the traditional Bavarian veal sausage. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

Taste: Malted wheat and barley in the raw, earthy yeast character with hints of lemon in the backround. A quick spark of clove hits the same time as the carbonation. Semi crisp with a medium body and a well structured carbonation. Minimal hop bitterness, maltiness is cracker like and gets drier and drier towards the end. Nutty flavours from the yeast and very faint fennel character from the phenols come through. Finish is quite clean and alcohol is a tad noticeable though the extravagant fruity side of the esters associated with this style is held at bay and more spiciness seems to take hold.

Notes: One of the best in the world needless to say, it still lives up to its name. A wheat beer at its best.

More User Reviews:

L: murky/cloudy yellow-orange yellow; huge fluffy head of white to off-white foam, a full 2 inches tall and so thick it looks like it's never going to fully dissipate; clears up enough (and quickly) to show hundreds of bubbles flying up the column ... holy cow is it awesome! you'd think the bottom of this glass was scored with a CO2 nucleation point, but it's not -- this brew is that carbonated; the head doesn't stick or lace much, but man is it a pretty beer

S: sweet citrus banana-clove mixed with more sugar ... very sweet, at times like bubble gum ... banana-flavored bubble gum; some grain shows through at times but just barely; wheat bread

T: follows the nose with just a pinch of tartness added; banana, clove, orange/lemon citrusy, sweetness throughout, some grain

F: light by still full ... so bubbly but still soft enough to remain super drinkable ... yeah, it's perfect

O: boy is it good ... loads and loads of wheat sweetness with just enough of a tart note to keep it from becoming too sweet; a brew I will revisit over and over and a definite standard I will use to measure other hefeweizens

Mouthfeel: The thickness and fine carbonation give this one a very creamy feel. No residual feel.

Overall: I can see why this brewery has been around for so long. All the components of this beer are bold, but well blended. I usually get bored of Hefe’s before finishing 12 onces; this one left me wanting another 16.

Pours a cloudy light amber. World Class head volume, lacing and retention.

Classic wheat nose of light clove and banana, a touch of lemon, yeast and biscuit. As it warms, a subtle spicy character emerges.

Medium bodied with a very smooth texture that approaches creamy. Well carbonated with a rich effervescence from the middle on.

This beer is the standard for Hefe Weissbiers and is world class. The flavor profile is intense, complex and well balanced. It begins with a mild tartness that separates into lemon and banana. As these fade in the middle, clove comes forward over a biscuit background with a hint of spice and dryness. The finish is crisp, with a mild biscuit fading and leaving clove.

One of the best beers crafted...ever. So smooth, so tasty, ripe bananas, bread/yeast, spices. Delicious. I would rank this my second favorite Hefe beer next to the Ayinger Bräu Weisse. I reviewed that beer already and I think I gave this Weihenstephaner beer a better review, haha, oh well. I just LOVE the really forward banana flavor of the Ayinger and the champagne mouthfeel. Its just a matter of preference. If you handed me either one of these beers I'd give you my first born child. The Weihenstephaner is a better deal though. I can get it for less than $2 a bottle (11.2oz) while the Ayinger is about $3.50 (16oz) a bottle (it has about 5oz more of yummy juice though).

Enjoyed on tap at my local establishment who has been trying to bring in better stuff as of recently. Reviewed from my trusty napkin notes. I keep forgetting my book so here goes...

A- A very nice hazy straw color with a nice goldish hue and a bunch of active yeast swirling about inside. Has a very nice white, creamy head that is alive with carb. Simply a great looking beer.

S- A very crisp and clean clove smell with a touch of pepper. As it warms some I am getting more of the clove smell with some bananas entwined with a nice subtle citrus aroma. An enticing and wonderful smelling beer.

T- Well they have been brewing this beer for close to a 1000 years probably and god damn they got it right. Definitely not one of my favorite styles, but this is simply astonishing. A great balance of light citrus bite with a great clove sweetness. It's followed by a nice refreshing finish with a touch of pepper in it. Crisp and refreshing!

M- Lively, with a great tingle of carb. Clean, crisp and refreshing. Similar to champagne, it's alive and bubbly all over. Really, really enjoyable.

D- Hahaha, your damn right. It's incredible I could drink this anytime of the year, but by the keg in the spring and summer. It's light, balanced and extremely refreshing. If you haven't tried it what the hell are you waiting for?

I guess that's why they have been brewing for a century. Fantastic beer from a world class brewery.

Smell - Clove bubblegum, banana and coriander going on. Also maybe a hint of orange and maybe even just the faintest notion of smoke for added complexity. Bubblegum sweetness more prevalent on second and third sniffs.

Taste - The clove really comes through here with fermented banana. The bubblegum sweetness is a supporting figure here as is the orange peel. Sweetness is modest but just right. Tiny amount of hops noticeable adding to the great complexity. Slight aftertaste laves you only wanting more.

Mouthfeel - Perfect. Medium / high carbonation gives a rich, creamy feel but the beer remains astonishingly light given the array of flavors and decent level of booze. Extremely refreshing left with clean plate. Also wet, while retaining the flavors extremely quaffable in mere moments.

Overall - Spectacular beer, one of the top three I've ever had. Also has sentimental value as this was the beer that turned me on to trying all sorts beers instead of the standard non-beer advocate's drink list. Not much else to be said that hasn't already been said about this beer, other than this brew represents beer royalty at its finest.

Truly one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. This beer is a cloudy yellow-orange that looks awesome in the right light. An inviting blend of banana, clove, and bread on the nose. The taste is where this beer really shines. There's a lot going on with Weihenstephaner, and in my opinion, it actually tastes better if you drink it just barely cool or closer to room temperature than really cold. I pick up on banana, clove, vanilla, bread, and slight bubblegum emphasized by the carbonation. The mouthfeel is great as well. Pretty creamy and smooth.

Franziskaner and Ayinger are almost as good. Maybe not quite as special. Either way, those would be my top 3. Had to escalate this one from a 4.7 to a 5 even though I'm reluctant to give 5s because it might be the tastiest thing I've ever drank (not just the tastiest beer). Get this.

My favorite hefeweizen. Pours out to a golden yellow haze. Really nice dense half finger head. Fantastic banana bready aroma. A really smooth and full flavor of banana cloves lemon zest. A great hefe that I would recommend to anyone.

As much as I drink (at least 2-3 times a week) I noticed I have never reviewed this gem,pours a hazy orange with a hint of gold with a great pillowey head that sticks to the glass like glue.Aromas of clove and citrius I dont pick up as much banana a touch of iron as well,taste is beautiful nicely spiced with more banana in flavor than aroma finishes with a citruisy kick.The comsumant weizen best in the world in my book its great to have it on tap at my favorite local bar.

Poured from a 500 ML bottle into a pint glass.
Aroma- A fantastic aroma of cloves and bananas.
Appearance- The beer pours a murky yellow/orange color with a thick white head.
Taste- Outstanding flavor of cloves, fruit and wheat. Great balance
Overall- A world class beer, even if you aren't a hefeweizen fan you should give it a try to see what a masterpiece of this variety tastes like.

A- This pours an opaque golden/yellow color that is beautiful to look at. The head starts out 3 fingers thick and eventually settles into a meringue like puffy cloud that is still around 1 finger over the Ale....color is super white. The carbonation is much too hard to tell in looks and I can say that the lacing is very modest at best. Still....a very nice looking brew overall!

S- Bananas and yeasty bread is first and foremost on the nostrils, with backing spices of cloves and a peppery note blended in there as well. There are also notes of Lemon and orange citrus zest and sweet caramel malts. The finish has just a hint of hop bitterness and is rather clean and refreshing smelling!

T- Refreshing citrus flavors take over the palate, as opposed to the aromas. Background flavors of baking spice is noted as well.....cloves, nutmeg and a muted peppery warmth balance out the sweet caramel/toffee malts. The finish is of unmalted grains and is very clean and refreshing. The peppery flavors noted linger on the palate with just a hint of heat.

M/O- Solid medium bodied beer with an immaculate carbonation that just blends so well for this style....it's assertive and the way it explodes on the palate really allows the flavors to burst with great intensity! The drinkability factor is perfect and this deserves to be in the top tier of German Hefeweizens.....I could enjoy this all night long without getting tired of it! I will most definitely get this one again!

I am glad to see some lighter beers on the Top Beers list. This is a world class hefe from the world's oldest brewery that was established almost a millenium ago in 1040. I had a glass on 1/29/16. Very crisp and clean with some clove notes at the finish. Absolutely fantastic.

This stuff is nothing short of phenomenal. Although a blind taste-test revealed that I like it just slightly less than Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, which is comparable in taste, these two are quite close and outstanding in caliber. It's incredible how well the pleasant flavor sticks around for awhile after drinking. The smoothness in drinking is impeccable. I can't recommend highly enough.

LOOKS: Hazy dark golden with 3+ fingers of creamy off white head. It sticks around for a while and leaves a pretty nice lacing down the glass. Loads of carbonation streaming up the glass.
AROMA: Fresh cut grass, loads of banana bread, & cloves. That is what you expect, that is what you get.
TASTE: Just like aroma, great bready quality.
FEEL: Ultra smooth. Absolutely nothing harsh about this beer. Soft on the palate. Perfect level of carbonation, not overkill. Dries up nicely on finish, a little slick up front.
OVERALL: I just haven't had a smoother, more flavorful Hefe than this. It tastes very natural, like nothing is being forced to bring this beer together.

Let me start by saying that this is not my choice of beer styles. I was recently on vacation, looked at the rating and decided to give it a try. Some of my rating is based on the comment made by my wife when she said, "That's REALLY good!!!

Brown/gold, a nice foam on top.

Smelled a little like banana, maybe some orange and other spices.

Tastes about the same with some flavors I couldn't identify.

Feel is velvety and thick.

Overall, I liked thought this was probably the best hefe I have ever had.

T- The taste is more or less the same. Classic Hefe characteristics but done so incredibly well that it seems like a new experience.

M- Thick and wicked smooth. Moderate-Low Carbonaton.

O- I believe that Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier is easily the best Traditional Hefe I've ever had. There are no experimental flavours and no additional BS. Just a solid, classic Hefe look, aroma, taste, and body that is an extreme pleasure to experience.

This is what a hefeweizen should taste like. I think this might have been my first hefe way back. I have been trying a lot of American hefes recently and started thinking I have just grown out of the style. I picked this up the other day and was blown away again. This is an amazing brew.